AU He had always hated humans. There was never a time he had, and never a time he would care for their weak species. But then she came along, and everything changed...RinSesshoumaru .::COMPLETE::. Epilogue UP!

The battle with and eventual defeat of Naraku had stirred many things up. The destruction of the highway and much of the surrounding area could not be hidden from the prying eyes of the world. It was supposed that not even the Council could have stopped the discovery if they had lived through the ordeal.

The truth came into light that demons in fact, were real and still living among the humans today. Demon children were identified nationwide and the human population showed signs of an upheaval. They did not trust the demons, and there was an immediate social frowning upon the love or even friendship between a demon and a human. When the news spread that there were already hanyou children among them, the humans grew angrier still, for they did not like having such things kept from them for so long.

Everything that the Council had tried to keep hidden was eventually unmasked as the last remaining standards of the institution fell away into antiquity. The distaste that the humans and demons held for each other lasted for several years, but it slowly eased, for with the Council no longer in power, the demon population had begun to flourish and there were many marriages between humans and demons. Hanyou's were eventually accepted as well due to this, and it was not uncommon to see hanyou's married to or courting a demon, human or another hanyou in the years following this.

Inuyasha wasted no time in wedding Kagome, though he grudgingly allowed his elder brother to be his 'best man.' He had been watching his elder sibling closely in the following months after the battle, for it was apparent to him that Sesshoumaru was fond of Kagome's cousin, Rin. However, he had no say in the matter and did not interfere beyond yelling in his brother's ear about causing trouble for the human girl.

Sango gave up her trade as a demon slayer and moved on with Kirara in search of a new profession. Hot on her heels was the monk, Miroku, which they had met at the battle with Naraku. He was supposedly a friend of Keade's that had been spying among the ranks of the Council for her for some time prior to the catastrophic event. The ex-taijiya beat him around a lot, but the monk never gave up on her and Kagome and Rin often giggled at the pair of them.

Kikyou went back to live with Keade in the shrine shrouded in mists in the mountains. She continued Rin's training, but only until she was sure that Rin had sufficiently learned her skills. Leaving explicit instructions that Rin should practice everyday, the quiet priestess had disappeared into the mountains and rarely was seen again.

Sesshoumaru went back to his lands after the battle to try and calm his people and restore what order he could after the death of his mother. Yuwakusha had disappeared it would have seemed, and he spared not one moment to worry for her, she had been a nuisance anyway and he cared little for her well being. He did not stay away from the human girl long though, for despite having found that which he had been searching for, he was still drawn to her. He would not allow himself to admit it, for he refused to be like his weak-minded, human-loving father, but there was something other than 'the light' that he liked about her. When he did leave again to be with her, he left Kouga in charge, ignoring the knowing smirk his friend was giving him the entire time. Let them believe what they wanted, he was merely going to check on her.

Rin led an easy life after the battle, though it took some time for her arm to heal and Sesshoumaru randomly would appear at her side and ask if she were alright. His concern for her was evident and she often smiled at him for worrying so much. It was just a broken arm after all; it wasn't as if she were dying. With his attentions though, there came some general dislike for her among the neighbors. At first they would not speak to her and she thought she heard Sesshoumaru growl at them once or twice in passing, but she said nothing, for it bothered her little. The whispers and uneasiness would subside some day anyway, and she was not worried. For now she was content to sit and talk with him, though she did most of the talking. He simply listened to her chatter, adding in his own comment every now and again.

A year after the battle, it was public news that the youkai Lord of the west was going to take a human woman as his bride. Newspapers had flown off the shelves, though there was never one photo of either the bride of the groom in any of them; Sesshoumaru had seen to that.

Inuyasha had been taken aback by this, but sniffed indifferently after a moment. "He had it coming," he had scoffed, though Kagome could tell he was happy just the same.

Of course there was outraged cries from both sides; the demons abhorred the idea of the mighty Sesshoumaru-sama taking a human mate and the humans were disgusted that a woman would degrade herself in such a manner.

All the same, the marriage took place on a bright summer's day without any disruptions. Who would have thought that a union between a human and a demon would be allowed by the fates?

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